Call for proposals

Deadline for submissionExtended until Thursday 31 January 2019

Proposals by artists and curators based in Europe are invited for projects which address the core themes of A Woman’s Work, a 24 month collaborative programme in which cultural partners in the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Ireland, France and Finland will work together in pursuit of the following objectives:

to enable artists and cultural professionals from across Europe to cooperate around the making and presentation to audiences of new work focusing on the changing face of women and work in Europe, with a sharing of professional experience and practice using both physical and online platforms

to create new opportunities for artistic exchange within Europe, increasing the mobility of artists and cultural professionals, utilising our respective networks and contacts to extend audience reach and the impact

Overview

Women’s role in industry and technology-based work in post-war Europe is a hitherto untold story, and audiovisual archives have tended to focus on male-orientated ‘heavy industries’ such as coal, iron and steel, or large scale engineering sectors such as shipbuilding, construction, aerospace and car manufacturing. Yet women continue to play a key role in many manufacturing and service industries – for example, textiles, electronics, food and drinks, plastics and pharmaceuticals – a reality which is neither acknowledged nor strongly represented in European cultural archives.

A Woman’s Work is a project that uses photography and digital media to address that deficit through artistic collaboration and exchange across borders, and the co-production of exhibitions, publications and online resources that challenge the dominant view of gender and industry in Europe. The project explores the shifting relationship between home and the workplace, and growth sectors such as the finance industry, media and telecommunications, where women’s work is being re-defined through technological developments and post-globalism.

Opportunities

8 residency opportunities hosted by one or more of the project partners

Support for work to be included in curated exhibitions, online platforms and publications as part of the project

participation in symposia and events, including opportunities to present work in progress

contributing to the audiovisual archive created by the project

Requirements

Entry is open to artists, collaborative groups and curators living in any of the 28 European Union member states or the following eligible countries: Norway, Iceland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Tunisia.

Those submitting proposals must be 18+, and can be at any stage in their career. There are no gender or religious restrictions. The Panel is looking for high quality proposals which use photography, digital or lens-based, but can include other art forms (eg. installation, printmaking, film and video, music, literature)

Submission

Please use the electronic form and provide the following:

Description of your Proposed Project (up to 250 words) to include summary of the work/project, timescale and planned outputs (exhibition, web, print etc.

Artist/curator CV (up to four pages)

Examples of previous work each submission can include up to 20 images, and links to relevant content on web and social media platforms.

Submissions can be considered as a sequence or individually.

Entry is free, and each individual can make a maximum of two submissions.

HOW CAN I ENTER?

Applications can be made by completing the electronic form and attaching supporting images and documents and emailing them to opencall@ffotogallery.org

Please follow all the instructions to successfully submit your proposals.

All submissions will be reviewed by the A Woman’s Work Project Partners, coordinated by Ffotogallery, the lead agency. There will be between 20 – 40 selected artists, depending on the quality of the submissions.

Successful entrants will be selected and notified by e-mail in late January/early February 2019, with information regarding what to do next. The decision on successful entrants is final.

Partners

Background Information

Central to the project is a commitment to joint working, manifest in reciprocal opportunities for artists and creative professionals from across Europe to travel to and work in each other’s countries. The key outcomes will be the result of creative collaboration in the form of planning, development and co-production of exhibitions, artist residency and commissioning opportunities, print and online publishing, educational programmes and digital engagement activities.

The Co-organisers and their location

Ffotogallery

Since its inception 40 years ago, as the national agency for photography in Wales Ffotogallery has played a pivotal role in developing a contemporary photographic culture through our commissioning and presentation of new work in exhibitions and at international festivals and events (including the biennial Diffusion: Cardiff International Festival of Photography), through extensive print and online publishing, support for emerging photographic and lens-based artists, and pioneering education and outreach work that offers opportunities for creative participation for a wide cross-section of the community. Ffotogallery is the coordinator of the European Prospects network, having secured Culture Programme and European Cultural Foundation funding to establish it as a pan-European platform for photography.

Founded in 1974 in Toulouse, Le Château d’Eau is the oldest place dedicated to photographic art in France. It has gained international recognition by exhibiting works by prestigious artists such as Lee Friedlander, Walker Evans, Edward Weston, Robert Doisneau, Brassaï and Cartier-Bresson. The organisation also supports emerging artists in a committed way and well-known names have made their first exhibition in its walls. The Château d’Eau is a place of production and distribution: exhibitions, book publishing, mediation and resource centre. Ten to twelve exhibitions are presented each year, several of which are of international importance. Thanks to its experience and its privileged relationship with various artists, Le Château d’Eau is a cultural player in Europe constantly seeking new creative partnerships. The Château d’Eau is a non-profit organisation supported by the City of Toulouse.

Established in 1933 and renamed The Union of Lithuanian Art Photographers in 1989 (now referring to itself as the Lithuanian Photographers Association), the organisation arranges photography exhibitions, seminars, and activities to support photographers, particularly encouraging a younger generation of photographers to continue the tradition of Lithuanian photography. Kaunas Photography Gallery is one of the largest and most important art exhibition places in Lithuania and the Baltic States, dedicated to photography and contemporary art. This non-profit space presents innovative contemporary projects as well as traditional photography exhibitions. The organisation is affiliated with Kaunas Photo Festival, an annual international event.

Established in 1978, the Gallery of Photography is the national centre for contemporary photography in Ireland. It is located in an award-winning building in Temple Bar in Dublin’s city centre. The gallery’s programme of curated exhibitions showcases work from established and emerging Irish and international artists. The organisation also provides darkrooms and a fully equipped digital studio, where exhibition-quality prints and scans may be produced to the highest specifications. The Gallery also runs photography courses, masterclasses and workshops and is home to Ireland’s leading photo bookshop.

Gallery of Photography Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation supported by the Arts Council and Dublin City Council.

Whack ´n` Bite is a recently established collective with two founding members (curator Tuula Alajoki and visual artist / designer Johanna Havimäki) from Finland. Like a visual band Whack ´n´ Bite welcomes featuring artists and colleagues for collaborations around and about photographic expression. Both Alajoki and Havimäki have background in visual arts with experience in content development, art production and international collaborations. 2012–2018 Alajoki was the director of the international photography triennial Backlight Photo Festival. Whack ´n´ Bite participates in curatorial responsibilities as well as in visual solutions with the organising partners, with the aim to create a northern reach to A Woman´s Work.